Central Penn

www.strikingchanges.com

Central Penn College

Denise M. DunckleyPresidentStriking Changes, LLC

Real Life Marketing Strategies


Words of Wisdom

• This is not in the text books! • If you interested marketing… we’ll assume:

– You’re not graduating with a law degree– You’re not graduating with a doctorial degree in

medicine– You’re graduating with a degree in Marketing!

Guess What! At some level, everyone on the outside thinks they can ‘do’ marketing.

Hence – your challenge!


Words of Wisdom

• The saying goes, “Feast or Famine?”• Correctly stated in the marketing field is,

“Famine then Feast.”• Count on it.


My Advice…

• Understand where you excel• Pick your niche• Become an expert• Blow it out of the water

Marketing is a HUGE space. Don’t profess to be an expert in everything out of the gate. There’s time for

that after 15-25 years!


Know Yourself! Left Brain/Right Brain people

• There’s room for everyone in the Marketing Brain Game

• Who is Right/Brained? Who enjoys creating names, taglines, brands?

• Who is Left/Brained? Who likes doing competitive analysis? Who thinks about crunching costs?


A Starting Point…What is Market Differentiation?

• Articulating the UNIQUE qualities of your products/services to the marketplace

• And it’s more than saying “Quicker, Cheaper, Better” -- (everyone says that!)

• It’s about creating a vibe and improving your impact


Great Quote!

• “A company's ignorance of its own strongest qualities can sink it, -- and identifying those strengths is not easy.”

Jonathan Gaw IDC, Research Manager


Five Steps to Successful Differentiation

1. Articulating Your Company, Service, or Product benefits

2. Understanding Your Target Audience or Customers

3. Picking Your Strengths4. Developing Your Positioning Statement5. Proving it!


Articulating Your Company, Service, or Product

• Ask yourself, and answer, the tough questions:– Why is my company better?– How is my company better?– What do my customers say about me?– Why would I buy my own products?– What is my greatest asset?


Understanding Your Target Audience

• How do my customers buy?– In person, on-line, direct mail, etc.

• Why do they buy?– Because I am solving a problem or providing a necessity?

• When do they buy?– Every week, once a month, once a year?

• Are my customers “one-time” or “repeat” buyers?• Are my customers buying on impulse or after careful

consideration?


Picking Your Strengths

• Remember, you can’t be all things to all people.• As a society, and as a world, we are inundated

with information. The statistics are staggering.– “You have to select the material that has the best

chance of getting through.”» Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind» Al Ries and Jack Trout

• Target your message – keep it simple.


Picking Your Strengths

• Define your company and/or your product in tangible attributes

• Quantitative measures– Speed, accuracy, price, amount

• Qualitative measures– Harder to identify… so, think in terms of

experience, expertise, inherent traits


Developing Your Positioning Statement

• Once you’ve identified your strength -- in one phrase or less – encapsulate your message

• Less is more!– QVC – “Quality, Value and Convenience”– Nike – “Just Do It.”


Fast Food Chains – Quick Identification

• Burger King – Have it your way• Dominos Pizza – Pizza in 30 minutes• Boston Market – Home cooked meals


Products – Highly Competitive

• Listerine – Kills the bacteria• Aquafresh – Triple protection• Bounty Paper Towels – Quicker, Picker,

Upper• Hallmark Cards – Care to Send the very

best


Add Value or Redefine Your Services

• Progressive Insurance – all quotes• Enterprise Rental Car – easy pick-up• Saturn – no hassle


Prove IT!

• Be Credible -- put your name on it! • Offer a guarantee• Supply an incentive• Customer testimonials speak volumes


Website Marketing

• Today the world revolves around the internet• E-Marketing is one of the hottest topics– it’s

cheap and it’s effective – bar none.• There is on-line marketing, viral marketing,

affinity marketing, etc.• This genre alone is a whole course study… so

we are going to look at “the window to the soul.”


What makes an effective website?

• There are studies that say that 85% of CEO executives are unhappy with their websites.

• It’s no wonder because the rules of website applicability keep changing.

• Web marketing specialists in today’s market are on a full-tilt learning curve – the parameters for success WILL keep changing.


Website Marketing for Today…

• Not in the text books… I believe there are five parameters by which to analyze website which will help bring most client websites up to a 90% efficiency/effectiveness rate.


Rapid Impact Methodology*

1. Promote your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), business value and differentiators

2. Incorporate optimal brand and corporate identity components

3. Leverage applicable technologies to deliver leading-edge solutions

4. Provide a layout that instills a positive end user experience

5. Use your website as a communication tool to build and sustain customer loyalty

*Proprietary to Striking Changes, LLC


Website Effectiveness

• In today’s market – a business may not drive revenue from the site –but almost every buyer is going to a site to make an initial interpretation of the business, make assumptions on credibility, and ultimately decide if he/she want to consider making a buying purchase in the future.


What is a Marketing Strategy?

• This is where the rubber hits the road!• Don’t position yourself as a Strategist

unless you have at least 12-20 bases covered.

• The following will outline the areas where you need to be knowledgeable in order to provide a client with a full-blown strategy.


Marketing Strategy Development

There are 5 facets to building a sound strategy for any client (according to Striking Changes, LLC).

1. Marketing Messaging2. Marketing Communications3. Stakeholder Communications4. Thought Leadership Initiatives5. Alliance Marketing


Market Messaging

• Due DiligenceAnalyze and develop strategic value propositions and differentiators to create a set of key messages. Analyze business goals, objectives, revenue projections, target audiences, etc.

• Create PlanSelect and delineate marketing priorities, budgets, timelines, etc.


Marketing Communications

• Sales CollateralWrite, design and print collateral.

• Customer References/Case studies/qualificationsBuild client case studies and testimonials to grow sales packages.

• World Wide WebUp-date web site to reflect new services.Research and submit qualifications for search engines on the Internet.

• AdvertisingBuild an integrated plan which may encompass print, radio, television, and/or other advertising opportunities.

• Interactive marketing and/or Direct Mail Campaigns


Stakeholder Communications

• Public/Media RelationsLaunch focused PR campaign for national and/or local news sources. As available, include client testimonials to support promotion of new products or service as a way of adding credibility.

• Employee CommunicationsDevelop employee communications plan that announces news and sales updates.


Thought Leadership Activities

Develop integrated approach to building general awareness and expertise whereby organization can own and establish a significant thought leadership position in the marketplace.• Event Management

Develop program of key events that will increase general awareness and help drive sales activities

• Newsletters/ArticlesDevelop schedule to write and promote perspectives on the pallet industry to build credibility as experts in the field.


Alliance Marketing

• Send information via email and/or direct mail to alliances and partners to generate increased interest.

• Develop linkage with alliance programs to leverage cross-selling and cross-marketing initiatives.


Closing…

• What’s in a name? Besides everything.• Who is Marion Morrison?

Marketing is knowing people, understanding how they think, how they buy, and why

they need your product… and stating why it’s the best.

Central Penn

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